Health care in Myanmar

Myanmar is one of the poorest countries in the world, with one of the highest maternal and infant mortality rates in south-east Asia.

The key challenge facing many mothers and their children is limited access to qualified antenatal and postnatal assistance. In Myanmar, over 70 per cent of deliveries are home births and of those, 43 per cent are not attended by a skilled health worker. The fact that more remote villages do not have access to health facilities at all is even more worrying.

Also, expectant mothers receive little or no advice about caring for themselves and their unborn children. When asked, only ten percent of women knew about potential pregnancy risks, and their signs.